Associate Protection Officer

The first 25 years of UNHCR’s presence in Pakistan were dedicated to the protection of Afghan refugees. The organization built refugee camps, assisted new arrivals, documented, registered and protected individuals.

Throughout the years of war in Afghanistan, Pakistan hosted the largest number of refugees in the world. Despite facing its own economic and social challenges, Pakistan has always maintained its tradition of hospitality by offering refuge to those in need.

Since 2002, in what has become the world’s largest assisted return programme, UNHCR has been facilitating voluntary repatriation of millions of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Ten years after programme began, UNHCR has directly helped around 4.4 million Afghans to return home.

Though its mandate is to protect refugees rather than to respond to natural disasters, UNHCR was quick to take action when a devastating earthquake hit northern Pakistan in October 2005. Its emergency relief efforts then, and again in response to historic flooding in 2010 and 2011, assisted millions of families who had lost their homes and their livelihoods.

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.orq).

Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol and has not enacted national legislation concerning refugees. However, Pakistan's provision of protection and assistance to Afghan refugees is generally in accordance with international standards and Pakistan's international human rights obligations. UNHCR's supervisory role vis-a-vis refugee protection is envisaged by a Cooperation Agreement of 1993, which recognizes the role of UNHCR within the parameters of its Statute.

Pakistan has an over 40 years long history of hosting refugees. Over 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and smaller number of non-Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers. The majority of Afghan refugees were recognized on a prima facie basis by the Government of Pakistan and are Proof of Registration (POR) Card holders. A smaller number of Afghan and non-Afghan asylum-seekers are processed in accordance with mandate procedures. In recent times, there has been policy shift and the Government of Pakistan has implemented the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan, that is currently being implemented and targeting largely the undocumented and specific categories of non-PoR Afghan holders.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following protection tasks to support UNHCR Pakistan's strategic operational and protection objectives.

This opportunity will allow the successful candidate to develop professionally in terms of work areas and competencies relevant to 'Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development' (HRD) which includes Priority area 1 (protection, displacement, social work, community cohesion, human rights)

- Assist in the development and implementation of general and community-based protection strategies and promoting participation of refugees in participatory assessments and decision-making processes.

- Support individual case management, including providing guidance on follow-up on specific protection issues (e.g. GBV, child protection).

- Liaise with partners and relevant interlocutors for protection prevention and response activities including support for social cohesion.

- Engage in necessary coordination to support the Protection Working Group mechanisms as required.

- Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR's updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.

- Provide necessary liaison and appropriate support for operational planning and forward-looking coordination of the inter-agency response.

- Ensure that the Protection Sector has an effective information management component which provides disaggregated data on populations of concern, gaps; collects and disseminates relevant information and good practices to enhance protection delivery. Work closely with Information Management to support ensure accurate and effective data presentation and graphics.

- Contribute research to legal analysis, policy briefs, or advocacy materials on international refugee law and human rights.

- Draft correspondence, reports, guidance notes and background information for meetings and missions.

- Liaise with external partners and local organizations on behalf of UNHCR. Perform other related duties as required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day).

- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.

- Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.

- Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.

- Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.

- Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.